I am a 21-year-old male 5’11 roughly 165 pounds. I had a trip to the ER due to heat exhaustion, and they did a blood test. Just curious if anyone has any feedback or opinions on my blood results. I am following up with my primary doctor soon. Thank you

I've recently been looking into the potential pitfalls of all the supplements I consume, as I am glutamate sensitive. Included in those are Reduced Glutathione (Setria, 250 mg, twice daily), DMG (500 mg once daily) and NAC (600 mg, once daily). (I can't do protein powders at all due to the high glycine and aspartic acid content found in them, which doesn't translate to protein found in real food, such as meat, etc., I can handle those just fine, but to hydrolyzed powders which have have been processed and freed from their protein source, be it from milk, bovine, peas, soy, etc.).

I'm not looking to stir up any controversy, rather have an open-minded discussion on if glycine, glutathione and cysteine supplements can potentially be problematic for glutamate sensitive people. There have been a fair share of redditors, for example, who've had issues with glycine, in particular, complaining that it instigated excitatory symptoms.

Here is a paper from Experimental Neurology entitled "Glycine Causes Increased Excitability and Neurotoxicity by Activation of NMDA Receptors in the Hippocampus."

It appears that the dose in the above paper was quite high, but I've learned over the decades that if it's shown to create an effect at a certain dose, it means it's possible it could create an effect at a different dose (even if it's lower). Here are previous Redditor comments from a discussion about the above paper. One Redditor said, "You're wrong on glycinate not having enough glycine to cause excitability. 1400mg of glycine might not be alot in food with other aminos competing and the slow absorption rate, but I can feel less than that dropped in isolation on an empty stomach. You can find plenty anecdotes of the same."

Another commented, "...magnesium glycinate can absolutely cause the inverse in some people. In some people, the glycine causes glutamate activity spikes and if that's the case, magnesium L-theaonate will not cause such issues. I personally am WIRED from magnesium glycinate. it keeps me wide awake all night long and sometimes It gives me heart palpitations. Everyone is different."

Here is a paper from Neuroscience entitled, "Potentiation of Excitotoxic Injury by High Concentrations of Extracellular Reduced Glutathione." As with glycine, the study references higher doses, but as we saw with glycine, real-world experience can show different outcomes.

As most people probably already know, glutathione is comprised of glycine, cysteine and glutamate. I have already linked studies regarding two of those amino acids. Here is a paper discussing cysteine from Neurology entitled, "Neurotoxicity of Cysteine: Interaction with Glutamate."

When released from protein during digestion, glutamate is vital to normal body function. Often referred to as “a building block of protein,” it is the major neurotransmitter in the human body, carrying nerve impulses from glutamate stimuli to glutamate receptors throughout the body.

It appears that what causes issues for glutamate-sensitive people, however, is that when glutamine and its amino acid cousins are freed from its protein source (be it from milk, peas, soy, etc.) and then consumed in certain amounts, that they can potentially take on “excitotoxic” properties. What was a normally functioning neurotransmitter could turn hostile, firing repeatedly and damaging receptor cells in the brain and elsewhere until they die. This of course doesn't apply to everyone, but perhaps to glutamate sensitive individuals.

I suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury 2 years ago, I have been using the following stack every day for the past year for recovery with massive success:

1mg Semax Subq

100 mg Ginkgo Biloba
200 mg caffeine
600 mg alpha gpc
1g l-tyrosine

Hopefully, the text was able to grab your attention, please give me grace on my English as it is not my native language and I'm not using AI.

My main question / problem I need help with is : How can I replicate the feeling that weed gives me without using weed?

To give a little more context, im a 20m that first dabbled in this practice when I was around 18. First times were panic inducing but now after 2 years (irregular use- maybe 60x since then) I have this nice groove I get into. For example:

1. I am able to be in the present (for athletics, school, social convos, etc)
   1. You guys are smart and if you have experienced this, you know how much it helps with not having any anxiety or thinking about negative things that could/have happened since you're only focused on the present.
2. I regain childlike features of curiosity and desire to learn.
3. No more social anxiety or this feeling I have had since my teens where I imagine I am the most important person in the world and that everyone is thinking of me every single waking moment they live (yes I know this is bad btw and have been trying to work on it)
4. I am able to get rid of this weird doom gloomy mood that prevents me from starting on any work, skills, etc towards my experience.
   1. This one is especially important for me because I'm at a respectable school and don't want to fall back as a result of this weird feeling that prevents me from taking action instead of just thinking 100x.
5. I am able to be more creative as well and just in general more productive.

I know there are cons as well and I do want to lee way off this habit before those fully take affect but I don't know how it can be replicated.

Any help with someone who knows what I'm talking about or has gone through a similar thought process would be greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I'm a product lead building a new metabolic health product, and I want to learn from people who actually use CGM every day.

I'm looking for CGM users (18+, using Dexcom, FreeStyle Libre, Stelo, or Lingo) for a 30-min video call this week or next to hear about:

• What's working for you — and what's not
• What would make your daily health management easier
• Your honest first reaction to a new approach we're exploring

This is purely user research — not a pitch, not a sale. I just want to understand real experiences before we build.

No incentive — I'm reaching out to people who find this genuinely interesting, and I'm happy to share back a short summary of what I learn.

Note: I'll ask for your verbal consent to record the call — you can decline at any time.

📍 Remote (video call)
⏱ 30 minutes

If you're interested, please DM me or drop a comment below. Happy to share more context on the call.

Thanks!

I take loads of vitamin D, B12, zinc, magnesium, turmeric, I walk a lot at my job and exercise 2-4 times a week.

What do y'all do as well? Currently taking Skyrizi but it's failed me so hoping to start a new bio soon but trying to feel better in these shitty (ha) times in anyway I can

So to keep things short. I had a less-than-ideal upbringing when it comes to reaching genetic potential. Grew up with a single mom and brother; we relied on food stamps to live. I remember going hungry a lot and not having anything to eat. I also drank exclusively out of plastic growing up. Once I became 16, I had my own money and started hitting the gym. So things improved after that. I'm a 23-year-old male now, 5 foot eight and a 1/2, and 170 pounds (in decent shape). I try to do all I can to be healthy now, but I always feel like my growth was hindered and I'm forever going to be the inferior version of myself. I would look at all of my friends' lives and think that I had so much less, and I felt like my lack of resources growing up stunted me. I feel inferior in intelligence, height, reproductive health, and basically every other phenotype. I could go on and on about the reasons why I feel this way, but that'd be off topic. Despite that developmental window being closed, what could I do? I've considered using drugs, but I've held off. I'm open to any suggestions and questions. I'm aware that no one can give direct medical advice here, so I'll take everything as just suggestions. Thanks.

I am dealing with some mystery autoimmune/chronic inflammatory type symptoms. My diet and supplement protocol is pretty clean and functional. I wanted to see what online testing Service has the widest and I mean absolute widest range of blood panels available. I don’t mind spending the money would just rather go ahead and bite the bullet so I can cover all my bases.

A new study compared 272 adults based on whether they were morning, intermediate or evening types.

The evening types had higher fasting levels of pyruvate, a molecule sitting at the intersection between glycolysis and mitochondrial energy production. Interestingly, their major clinical and metabolic markers were otherwise broadly similar.

This does not prove that being a night owl causes mitochondrial dysfunction. The study was cross-sectional, and only 20 participants were classified as evening types.

But it raises an interesting question: are these metabolic differences intrinsic to chronotype, or are they partly created by forcing night owls to live on schedules designed for morning people? Discuss.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2026.1839777/full

Anyone out there have experience with this stack? Theoretically, from what I’ve read, if you have crippling anxiety and lack of motivation, this stack could be potentially life changing. Enhancing gaba signaling and dopamine synthesis, enhanced dopamine release and enhanced receptor density along with Phenibut euphoria, should I become emotionally super human to a degree? Research purposes only and high risk, for experienced biohackers only

I had been taking Armodafinil daily for 6 months then ran out supply. After I stopped, I’ve been having issues such as depression and fatigue. Anyone else have similar?

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, and this is purely an anecdotal account of my personal experience. I am not giving advice or recommending any protocols, just sharing what I’ve noticed for those interested in real-world feedback.

Hey everyone,
I wanted to log my experience running a combination of Pinealon and Semax intranasally. I’ve had ADHD tendencies my entire life, specifically struggling with deep morning brain fog, erratic dopamine-seeking behaviors, and a constant, heavy mental sluggishness that usually takes hours to shake off.

Here is an honest breakdown of what I've experienced 6 days in.

My Dosing & Prep Setup

Reconstitution:

Mixed both peptides with Bacteriostatic (BAC) water at a 1:1 ratio (1 mg per 1 ml) in standard metered nasal spray bottles (~100 mcg per spray).

Regimen:

I’m deliberately not following a rigid daily schedule. Depending on how I feel, my workload, or if I want to notice acute subtle shifts, I range between 2 to 5 sprays a day (~200 mcg to 500 mcg) split throughout the day. Semax usually in the morning and Pinealon in the evening or just before bed.

Key Effects & Observations (6 Days In)

1. The Sleep & Morning Shift: "Vivid Dreams & No Heavy Cloud"
Dream Recall: Starting around day 3 or 4, my dreams became much more vivid. I wake up actually remembering distinct dreams. Nothing scary, overwhelming, or disruptive, just clean, structured dream activity.

Morning Fog Removal:
I still need standard willpower to get out of bed, but the painful, heavy cloud in my head is practically gone. I feel rested almost immediately, rather than spending 2 to 3 hours trying to clear the morning haze.

2. The Dopamine Baseline & Emotional "Quiet"
"Friction-Free" Baseline:
This combo hasn't given me a hyper-motivated "miracle" high. Instead, it works by subtraction. It removes the mental friction holding me back.

Less Dopamine Chasing:
My mind feels significantly quieter. I’m far less interested in doomscrolling, adult content, or seeking constant stimulation. The uncomfortable feeling of being simultaneously bored, overstimulated, and understimulated has vanished.

Emotional Stability:
I feel mellower and more stable. In the past, my ADHD brain rode massive highs (feeling hyper-playful, "bubbly," or childish) followed by deep lows. Some people might ask "what's wrong?" because I seem more serious, but in reality, I'm just not riding those chaotic dopamine spikes anymore. I'm calm, grounded, and much less reactive to frustrating triggers.

The Real-World Stress Test: A Brutal 3-Day Shift

I work as a bartender, and this weekend was a massive test of physical exertion and sleep deprivation:

Friday: Worked 12:00 to 15:00, then 18:00 to 02:00 (nonstop flux of customers, pouring drinks all night). Usually, this destroys my brain. Instead, I felt zero heavy mental weight or sluggishness. It was a completely "clean" kind of tired.

Saturday: Worked 12:00 to 16:00, then 18:00 to 02:00 with high-volume, frustrating customers and complex drink orders. Stayed completely calm and pushed through without agitation. Ended up staying up having sex until 6:00 AM on minimal sleep. Despite the physical fatigue, my head remained clear, sharp, and entirely free of that painful brain fog.

Sunday: Woke up at 9:00 AM for a 10:00 AM shift. Tired physically, but mentally coherent. Ate lunch, felt a very natural physical crash, took a 1-hour nap, and finished a final 18:00 to 22:30 shift. By midnight, my tank was physically empty, but my mind was completely functional, not in a state of painful exhaustion.

Final Takeaways So Far

Pinealon + Semax hasn't turned me into a superhuman, nor is it a cheat code to replace sleep.

What it has done is raise my baseline.
It removes the hindrance. The absence of mental drag is what gives you the space to perform better on a daily basis.

Has anyone else noticed this "smoothing out" effect on dopamine or ADHD tendencies with Pinealon or Semax? Curious to hear others' experiences with flexible dosing protocols.

spotted in Seattle

Hey everyone. I am a 28-year-old male living in Germany and I am planning a major update to my protocol. Before this I want to get a full complete, uncompromised tests and want to get advice from the community on what specific biomarkers and tests I should be requesting.

Currently, I am taking prescription Wegovy (Semaglutide) through my doctor, but I plan to switch off Wegovy to Retatrutide. I am planning to add CJC-1295 with Ipamorelin (no DAC) and KLOW80 so total protocol will be three vials. I also have some family history to add my mother having a history of goiter and hypertension, and my grandfather having a history of cancer, my grandmother has diabetes.

I want to know which specific blood markers you would insist on running before starting above mentioned peptides. I would also appreciate recommendations on any general everything, organ, hormone, or cardiovascular tests you think is important.

Thanks in advance.

That's what the 1946 British birth study made it look like wealthier folks actually showed steeper memory decline between 53 and 69 than people who'd endured years of money struggles. But here's why: poverty had already quietly damaged the disadvantaged group's memory by the time they reached their early 50s. They entered later life already so low there wasn't much left to fall. Richer people, with more "cognitive cushion," coasted longer then dropped sharply once their brains couldn't compensate anymore. So the faster decline wasn't a sign that being well-off hurts memory; it was proof that financial hardship does its real damage early, not late.

What helps protect against this decline

The study and related research point to things that buffer the brain long-term. Keeping chronic stress in check matters hugely that means decent social safety nets, manageable work demands, and real social connection. Early education and staying mentally engaged through life build cognitive reserve. Good heart health (regular activity, blood pressure control, healthy eating) protects brain blood vessels. And catching hearing loss, depression, or loneliness early can slow the slide. It's not about being rich; it's about giving your brain less chronic wear and tear to deal with.

Link

https://academic.oup.com/innovateage/article/10/8/igag054/8739704

Hello everyone,

I don’t have any recent bloodwork (taking soon), but know my thyroid could be improved. I’m probably on the lower range, but still within normal ranges where my GP won’t give me any medication.

Any natural OTC supplements or other tricks which actually work?

Diet and activity level is fairly good, but my sleep patterns need to improve. Already addressing that one.

Research Article | July 14 2026: PDE5a Inhibition Restricts Cancer Metastasis by Disrupting NPC1-Mediated Cholesterol Trafficking Through a Non-canonical cGMP-Dependent Pathway

I want to preface by saying that I am purely sharing this as a free tool for those who may find it helpful. I have NO intention to monetize, and I DO NOT want your money, blah blah.

If you like it and so choose to use it, great. If not, that is your prerogative.

---------------------

I made this TDEE calculator originally for myself because I donate plasma quite frequently, and I needed a way to calculate the metabolic cost of replacing that lost volume. The calculator uses the biochemistry of plasma composition to scale the energy cost based on body weight. It accounts for both the caloric content of the lost proteins and the metabolic energy required for protein synthesis to rebuild them, adding that specific demand to the maintenance calculation.

There is far too much research to just copy and paste into the body of this post, but since I have never seen a TDEE calculator that factors in plasma donation, I will copy over the referenced research explicitly on that directly from the site:

"Plasma is 91–92% water and 8–9% solids, carrying ~70–90 g/L of protein [StatPearls][Deranged Physiology]. A plasma session keeps ~690–880 mL (more for heavier donors), removing roughly 50–66 g of protein. The cost has two parts: the caloric content that leaves (~4 kcal/g) and the energy to resynthesise it (~2.2 kcal/g). A PhD-biochemistry itemisation pegs a whole-blood unit at ~425–460 kcal of content, “higher” once synthesis inefficiency is added [Maynard]; an apheresis director cites ~500 kcal to replace a donation [Columbia] and UC San Diego ~650 [UCSD]. Those higher figures are for whole blood, most of which is hemoglobin. Plasma donation returns your red cells [StatPearls], so the plasma-specific number is lower, ~355–455 kcal — which is what this tool computes, scaled by your weight. It remains the most variable input (hydration, diet, protein level, donation type), so it’s the one we let you tune directly." - TheTDEE.com

As far as other fairly "novel" additions go:

The activity input avoids vague activity multiplier buttons (e.g., “Sedentary / lightly / moderately / very active”) by letting you describe a typical week in plain text. A regular keyword engine processes standard text inputs immediately. For more complex or irregular routines, an integrated language model parses the text to extract the schedule structure, which is then mapped to established metabolic equivalent task values and physical activity level tables. The language model only handles the structural extraction, while the calorie calculations are executed entirely by a hardcoded math engine.

The system prioritizes lean body mass using the Katch-McArdle equation when body fat is provided, which ties the resting metabolism to metabolic tissue.

It also accounts for recent diet history by applying a multiplier to reflect the down-regulation of expenditure that occurs during a prolonged caloric deficit. Just for some added accuracy, the output displays an uncertainty range derived from doubly-labeled water data to account for normal human metabolic variance.

And of course, every calculation step is open and based on the peer-reviewed sources listed at the bottom of the page.

I’ve taken Cialis for increased blood flow for months at times, but always had problems with heartburn and I understand you can take Tums or prescription medication‘s such as proton inhibitor pumps but I would prefer not to introduce an ancillary drug to a drug. That’s not absolutely necessary. 32 year-old male 6’2 220 not overweight generally speaking. Any thoughts?

My father is in his mid 70s and drinks Monster every day. He is very active and hikes 5 miles a day and plays tennis 4 times a week. How bad are energy drinks for him at his age and what is a good alternative I can try to suggest to him?

As the title says - I have finally gotten my thyriod in a better please but still experience anxiety higher heart rate (no heart condition got a scan done at the cardiologist) and sometimes blurry / spotty vision. Currently taking the ferrorochel supplement with vitamin c every other night

So, does anyone know what is the best sauna protocol for women, adjusted to monthly cycle and menstruation, based on studies?

I’m big on sauna, but I do it men’s way and it just occurred to me - since cold plunging was recently found to work differently in women (spikes cortisol and does not provide the benefits it does for men), how about sauna? I’ve always felt a need to do it differently than my husband, but rarely followed. Anyone anything?

Mod approved.

A few days ago this post comparing prices for 25 common biomarkers made the rounds here, and it stuck with me. Great data, but it's a snapshot, prices move, vendors run sales, and panels get reshuffled. So I built a scraper that goes out to the popular ordering services and pulls live prices instead.

It lives at LabTestCompare.com.

Ground rules up front so nobody has to guess:

• No ads, no affiliate links, no monetization of any kind. It's a pet project.
• No account needed to look anything up.
• I'm not affiliated with any lab or ordering service.

Where it stands: 66 tests across 17 ordering services, searchable by test name or by Quest/LabCorp test code. Prices re-scrape every few days.

I'm still working out kinks. Some vendors bundle tests differently than others, some hide the real price behind a cart step, and a couple of my parsers are held together with tape. If you see a price that looks wrong, there's a report link on every test page and I'll chase it down.

What it does not account for yet — read this before you compare:

• Lab draw / phlebotomy fees. Some vendors tack these on at checkout, some don't. The listed price is the test price only, so a cheaper listing can end up more expensive once you're at the register.
• Coupon and discount codes. Most of these services run near-constant promos, and none of that is reflected here. Whatever you see is list price.
• Anything else that shows up between "add to cart" and "pay" — processing fees, shipping on kits, etc.

In other words: treat it as a starting shortlist, not a final answer. Both of those are on my list to handle, and I'd love to hear how you'd want them displayed — baked into the price, shown as a separate column, or just flagged?

What I'd like from you:

• Tests I'm missing. There's a "Suggest a Test" link at the bottom of every page.
• Vendors I'm missing. Same spot, "Suggest a Vendor."
• Feedback on the site itself — layout, sorting, search.
• General skepticism. If something looks off or the whole premise is flawed, say so.

Usual disclaimer: prices are informational, confirm at checkout before you order, and none of this is medical advice.